The Ireland we want is built by artists, and they need income

Irish Examiner

2 days ago

On a summer night in Cork City music spills from Coughlan's, crowds gather for the Midsummer Festival, and the hum of a guitar drifts from the doorway of a local pub. This isn't just noise—it's the pulse of a city, a country alive.
From the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival to the Galway International Arts Festival, Wexford Opera to Electric Picnic, Ireland's culture beats at the heart of our identity. It draws tourists, fills venues, and creates moments we cherish.
Yet here's the uncomfortable truth: the people who make this happen are barely surviving. Now, with the government's public consultation on the Basic Income for the Arts (BIA), we have a once-in-a-generation chance to secure their future.
Last week, a caller on national radio asked bluntly: 'If artists can't make money from what they like to do, why should we give them an enhanced dole payment to pursue their indulgence?'
This reduces art — one of Ireland's most powerful global currencies — to a private hobby. It ignores the profound economic, social, and cultural impact artists make, often subsidizing Ireland's cultural life with unpaid labour.
Public investment is essential: without it, artists cannot survive; without artists, our culture fades — along with our identity, tourism, and wellbeing.
The BIA pilot supports 2,000 artists with €325 per week, unconditional, for up to three years. That's about €16,900 annually—less than minimum wage—but it gives artists something most lack: financial stability to focus on their work.
If expanded to 7,000 artists nationally, the scheme would cost roughly €118 million annually—just 0.14% of Ireland's total government budget. Compare that to sport, which receives about €230 million annually in capital and operational funding.
Farming subsidies run into billions. Science, heritage, and tourism all receive stable, long-term investment.
'We do not fund sport or science because they turn a daily profit. We invest because they're vital to public health, national pride, and Ireland's global reputation. The same holds true for art.'
Some ask: Ireland already invests through the Arts Council, so why do we need BIA? Because Arts Council funding is mostly project-based, not income-based. Grants might fund a play, exhibition, or album but once materials, venues, and collaborators are paid, little remains for the artist.
Ork City Lord Mayor Dan Boyle introduces the Trygve Seim Ensemble at the Triskel Theatre in Cork's Midsummer Festival. 'Cork understands art's value.' Picture: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision
Many artists never secure such grants, and applications often require weeks of unpaid work. Between projects, artists scramble for survival income. The BIA doesn't replace Arts Council grants — it fills a critical gap, providing stability and continuity.
Cork understands art's value. The Guinness Jazz Festival draws tens of thousands. The Midsummer Festival turns the city into a stage. The Crawford Art Gallery showcases Ireland's cultural treasures.
But this goes beyond Cork. Cillian Murphy's Oscar-winning journey began in small Cork theatres. Enda Walsh's global success grew from Irish stages. Musicians who first played tiny venues now carry Ireland's sound worldwide.
After eight years supporting artists through The Biscuit Factory, I've heard the stereotypes: the painter 'playing with paint all day', the musician 'sleeping till noon', the craftsperson with a 'hobby'. The reality is very different.
Painters working night shifts to pay studio rent. Theatre makers crowdfunding and paying themselves nothing. Musicians investing thousands in instruments and recording, ending the year in debt.
No one expects an Olympic athlete to 'train on the side'. Sport investment builds pride, inspires future generations, and raises Ireland's profile globally. Art does the same, preserving heritage, attracting tourism, strengthening empathy, resilience, and social bonds.
Les Girafes - An Animal Operetta from Compagnie during the closing event for this year's Cork Midsummer Festival. 'The festival turns the city into a stage.' Picture: Clare Keogh
'If elite athletes merit investment for what they bring to Ireland internationally, so do the painters, playwrights, musicians, and filmmakers who carry our culture to the world.'
Experts warn that by 2037, many jobs will disappear due to AI. In this future, creativity, empathy, and cultural connection will be uniquely human and invaluable.
Ireland already markets itself as a nation of storytellers, musicians, and makers. Making the BIA permanent would show Ireland leads the world in treating culture not as luxury, but essential public infrastructure.
The BIA pilot exists thanks to grassroots efforts of the National Campaign for the Arts and countless advocates who lobbied TDs, gathered data, and kept this issue alive — all while juggling precarious work themselves.
From the Lee to the Liffey, from the Wild Atlantic Way to Galway streets, culture binds Ireland. Without artists, the music stops. Stages darken. Stories remain untold.
The government's BIA public consultation is open now. This is the moment — to say: I value culture. I value the creators. I want Ireland to lead the world in supporting artists.
Fill out the survey. Share it widely. Challenge the 'indulgence' myth. This is about the Ireland we want — today and for generations.
Tara Prendergast is the founder of The Biscuit Factory, supporting thousands of creatives over eight years. She is now leading the development of Biscuits, an AI-driven infrastructure platform for the creative sector, designed to connect, educate, and empower artists in Ireland and globally.